Princess Anne is the Princess Royal, the second child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their only daughter. She was known as a lively and assertive child, well able to cope with having three brothers whom she definitely wasn’t going to allow to push her around.
Princess Anne’s formal education began in the traditional way for generations of children of the British Royal Family. She was privately tutored by a governess at Buckingham Palace where she lived after her mother succeeded to the British throne. She then went on to Benenden School in Kent, where she achieved two ‘A’ levels, although she was more the outdoor type than the academic, loving horse riding in particular. She did not attend university, instead entering public life and taking on Royal public engagements from the age of eighteen. These days, Princess Anne carries out more public engagements than any other member of the British Royal Family.
Immediately after leaving Benenden, Prince Anne entered public life and by age twenty she was president of the Save the Children Fund, for which she has done much good work ever since, being a very public campaigner on the charity’s behalf.
Following her marriage to Mark Phillips in 1973, Princess Anne suffered some unwanted excitement only four months in when someone attempted to abduct her en route to the palace. She was unharmed, but her personal guard was injured and rewarded for bravery. During her marriage to Mark Phillips, Princess Anne had two children: Peter Mark Andrew (1977) and Zara Anne Elizabeth (1981). Princess Anne made a controversial decision that her children should not be awarded the titles of His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness, as they were entitled to be addressed.
The marriage to Mark Philips ended in divorce in 1992, and before the year was over, Princess Anne was remarried to Timothy Laurence. Today they reside in Gloucestershire at Gatcombe Park.
Princess Anne began public service at the very young age of 18. All of her charity work has been focused on improving public welfare, in particular for children and third world countries. Her efforts with groups including Trust for Carers, Transaid and Riders for Health have worked simultaneously as her work with Save the Children where she has been president since 1970. Her efforts have aided and supported millions of children worldwide. Her most notable political achievement was being the first royal guest of the USSR in 1990, which she carried alongside her multiple duties at home in Britain. Her loyalty and exemplary service to the crown have earned her multiple honors, not the least of which is appointment as a Knight of the Most Noble Order of The Garter in 1994.
On a personal level, Princess Anne’s first love was horses. She was a world-class athlete during her younger years. In 1976 she represented Britain at the Olympics, followed by a 5-year presidency at the British Olympic Association beginning in 1983. In 1986, she temporarily added the presidency of the International Equestrian Federation to her list of duties. Charitable organizations associated with her love of horses include Riders for Health and Riding for the Disabled, both which promote healthy relationships between rider and horse. Her daughter has since followed her mother’s footsteps as a world class horsewoman.
- Full Name: Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise
- Father: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
- Mother: Queen Elizabeth II
- Born: 15 August 1950
- Married: 14 November 1973 to Captain (then Lieutenant) Mark Phillips; 12 December 1992 to Vice Admiral (then Commander) Timothy Laurence
- Children: Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (1977), Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips (1981)
